The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-04-21
Married to a Lunatic.

Married TO q 1unatlc.
| The Washington Star Of the 18th has the
following noticeof gentleman who at one
time was patient in the Lunatic Asylum
at this place, and will be remembered by
many of our citizens. He was the inventor
and manufacturer Of pipe-stem and pipe
which absorbed the nicotine in tobacco
and sold many of them to our citizens.
They were kept on sale in several of our
cigar stores. He attempted to kill one OF
the attendants at The asylum at one time.
One day he would appear to be sane, the
next he would be desperate maniac. The
Star says:
Mr.. William M Bryant, who has been WE'LL
known real estate'dealer here, and who was re-
finement in st. Elizabeth's Asylum, created a
sensation on 9th street, near f, yesterday after
costume and finally showing himself com pleteIy
nude. He was taken into custody by the police
an Il the
estate agent. with whom he was formerly asso-
ciated, and smashed up part of the office FUR
niture. Mrs. Bryant, of 7O7 Sth street, wife of
the supposed Insane man, writes to the Star to
correct statement in morning paper that
M Mr. Bryan, "deign a insanity Mr. Brysn
over twenty years, was confined in the different
asylums of this vicinity as a dangerous lunatic.
his commitment) she writes. "he married me,
and did not know at the time the full particu-
lars OF his life but accepted him. as others have
done in business, as q sane man. My life has
been one of terror these three years, for in that
time he has caused me to be broken up In home
and property, and to suffer irreparable loss to
say nothing of the danger to my life, SO fire.
Quently jeOpardiZed."
Bryant was still confined at the first precinct
mol too fn.aQ O r,inI,f IN
his cell in nude condition, having torn up the
clothing which the police furnished him. This
morning he seemed some what calmer, and per-
mitted the janitOr at the station to dress him.
The police surgeons examined him to-day, and
IL is probable that he will be sent to the insane
asylum. Mrs. Bryant, his wife, called TO see
him at the station this afternoon. She repre-
| sented to Lieutenant Amiss that she feared for
her life If he was allowed to go free, and ex-
pressed regret that there were legal meaus by
which he could secure liberty when he had a
that he seemed to have violent attacks Of in.
sanity every six months. His mania, She said,
seemed to be money On the occasion that she
fed from the house to escape from him, she
said he was In his room all night driving horses,
as he supposed He had spent much money on
horses, and seemed to be insane on that subject.
| She said that the man he stabbed was an attend
| ant at the insane asylum. Bryant attempted
! to escape from the asylum, but was pursued,
and turning upon his pursuers, stabbed this
man.
Referring to Bryant's case. and that he
was stillretained at the 18th street station
house as an insane person, the Star Of the
10th says that he had that day consenteu
| to be admitted to the asylum as volun-
| tary patient. He had gotten over his par
oxism of excitement, caused, as it is alleged
by his friends, by irritating conduct on the
part of his wife, and seemed rational. The
fact is, Bryant has been subject to spells
like that reported of him for many years.
It was the case when he was in the West
ern Lunatic Asylum as a patient For
months he would be perfectly rational, to
all appearances, and during such period
he would manufacture and place on sale,
his pipesten invention. For while he
had counter and case for his wares in
one of the rooms on the first floor of the
Virginia Hotel. He also assisted in the
book store of Mrs. r. II. Cowan on New
street. But when these irrational spells
came upon him he became quite violent
and dangerous, and had to be closely con-
fined at the asylum. The charge, there
fore, that his wife's conduct towards him
brought on the insane attack, of which
complaint is made, is not true. for he had
no wife when here, nor was he crossed in
any way.
The Star continues its account III refer
ence to Bryant, as follows
Mr.. Bryant Is an inventor. having obtained o
patent In 1870 for an 50 improvement in prepar-
Ing the pith of corn stalks for use in the arts'
At the recent session of Congress the Senate
committee on patents made a favorable report
on a bill to extend the letters patent for fur
Their term of seven years. In its report the COM
emit case as an exceptional one. Mr.. Bryant,
during considerable portion of the life OF the
patent has been confined in insane hospitals.
His patent being obtained in 1870, he engaged in
the manufacture OF articles, in the construction
of which his patent was applied at Brooklyn. N.
Brooklyn and put in an insane asylum IN Staun-
| ton, Va, where he continued until 1877, and
from which he was removed to the Government
Hospital Tor the Insane, near the city of WASH
tngton, where he continued in confinement by
order OF the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia. Thus it appears that for thirteen
years of the seventeen for which his patent was
granted he was confined in an insane hospital
The evidence before your committee tends to
show that his confinement was unWarran ted.
While SO confined he was allowed in a small
way to make articles in pursuance of his patent,
but was unable to accomplish anything more
than the manufacture by his own hands of a few
| articles, for which he found limited sale by
friends residing near the place OF his confine-
ment."
| LIPovEMENTS.-T commo6ious bust
ness Louise on Main street, between the